The gay movement officially started in 1969. A riot breaks out in a routine raid of Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn. Drag queens, transgenders, and minorities were targeted. Members of the LGBTQ community said enough is enough and this started the movement. Overtime AIDS became more of a serious topic. As AIDS become well known, gay rights became a more serious topic as well. This happened especially in Toronto. Gay rights became an issue. Later on, the events that inspired The Normal Heart took place, led by activist Larry Kramer. More AIDS cases became reported and received attention in the United States and Canada. In 1984, the virus responsible for AIDS was discovered by Dr. Robert Gallo. A year later president Ronald Reagan announces the issue of AIDS to the country which brings more attention to the topic. It is later discovered that some races are more prone to it than others. Groups such as AAN! Initiative and CATIE are formed to help treat the disease. What threatens the forward thrust of this movement are the associations this disease has with gay people. While gays have come a long way over the years with their progress in civil rights, they do still face discrimination. Since they are largely associated with the disease, some people still try to keep their distance regarding treatment of it.